The illumination of both heated and unheated product display cases have, in the past, utilized one or more conventional light sources, such as, for example, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights, and halogen or quartz lamps. Although each one of these conventional light sources has obviously worked satisfactorily, is well-known, and have been in widespread use for many years, they are not truly desirable as light sources for present day usage for a variety of reasons. For example, none of these well-known light sources are energy efficient. In addition, the service life of each one of such conventional light sources is relatively short, thereby requiring replacement by service personnel. Incan-descent lights usually last for only 750-1200 hours, and are notoriously energy inefficient, effectively converting only approximately 5% of their energy into visible light. Fluorescent lights require the use of electrical ballasts for controlling or regulating the current flowing through the lights, and they also contain mercury, rendering them hazardous and requiring careful handling and disposal. They also only have a service life of only approximately 10,000 hours. Halogen or quartz lamps are relatively expensive, their costs resulting in expenditures which can be approximately four times that of a comparable incandescent bulb. In addition, quartz lamps are delicate and can be easily damaged. Special or careful handling of such lamps is therefore required, and still further, care must be taken not to permit oils from human skin to contaminate surface portions of quartz lamps in view of the fact that such contamination can lead to premature failure of the lamps. Halogen or quartz lamps also only have a service life of approximately 4,000-8,000 hours.
LED lights or lamps are also of course well-known and have been utilized within a multitude of environments. Their advantages comprise relatively long service life, such as, for example, between 50,000-100,000 hours, and they are extremely efficient in connection with their energy usage leading to substantially lower energy costs. One caveat to be aware of in connection with the usage of LED lights or lamps, however, resides in the fact that LED lights or lamps can only operate effectively within an ambient temperature range of, for example, approximately 40° F. to 130° F. Operation of LED lights or lamps with-in temperature environments of, for example, higher than 140° F. can lead to failure of the lights or lamps. Accordingly, if LED lights or lamps are to be used within unheated product display cases, the ambient temperature should not present any operational problems. However, if LED lights or lamps are to be utilized within heated product display cases, wherein the ambient temperatures are normally within the range of, for example, 165° to 180° F., such ambient environments could present operational drawbacks with respect to the utilization of LED lights or lamps within such environments. More particularly, if it is desired to use LED lights or lamps in connection with such heated product display cases, it is imperative that the temperature level at which the LED lights or lamps operate, or the temperature level of the environment within which the LED lights or lamps are expected to operate, or to which the LED lights or lamps are exposed, be maintained at a temperature which is definitely less than 140° F. while the ambient temperature within the heated product display case is optimally maintained at a temperature level of, for example, at least 165° F.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved light source that can be utilized in connection with product display cases in order to illuminate the interior portions of the product display cases so as to properly display the products within a desirably illuminated environment, and wherein such light sources will not exhibit the operational drawbacks characteristic of conventional fluorescent, incandescent, or halogen or quartz lamps, as has been noted hereinbefore, while at the same time, such light sources will not be subjected to ambient or operational temperatures which would otherwise be operationally detrimental to the service life of such light sources.